Greenville Ave News

Cafe Duro wine & coffee bar brings Euro charm to Dallas' Greenville Ave

Espresso in the morning, wine in the evening.

Photo by Julie Soefer

There's a cosmopolitan new market-coffeeshop-wine bar open on Greenville Avenue: Called Cafe Duro, it's from Duro Hospitality, whose portfolio includes beloved restaurants The Charles, Bar Charles, and Sister, and is open at 2804 Greenville Ave., conveniently adjacent to its sibling restaurant Sister.

According to a release, Cafe Duro is conceived as a unique coffee and wine bar that will add charm and character to the neighborhood, serving as a classic European-style street café with a traditional Italian-ish walk-up espresso counter, standing bar tops, and window seating.

They also offer intriguing foodstuffs, for dine-in or to go: from Italian panini to house-made pastries, plus pasta, sauces, or a bottle of wine.

And they have long hours: Sip an espresso or an Aperol Spritz and enjoy a pizzetta on the patio daily from 7 am-10 pm.

Menu highlights include:

• Mia Nonna Sausage Kolache
• Pickled Blueberry Danish
• Olive Oil Coffee Cake
• Meatball and Jalapeño Breakfast Polenta Cup
• Mortadella Muffaletta
• Vegan Artichoke Panini
• Pepperoni and Brunt Honey Pizzetta

Café Duro's design was inspired by Renzo Mongiardino's design of Ristorante da Giacomo, evoking an early 20th-century Lombard trattoria, and features Sees Design's custom wallpaper and design elements.

Even the most culturally oblivious surely know that Ristorante da Giacomo is the fabled restaurant in Milan which Mongiardino designed for owner Giacomo Bulleri in 1989. I mean, come on. OK I had to look it up. Voguedescribes it as "an elegant study in Belle Epoque elegance, with milky green Anaglypta walls and flattering amber and alabaster lights." Vogue says the restaurant has become "a reliably delicious backdrop to local and visiting aesthetes and fashionistas," which will undoubtedly be the case for Cafe Duro in Dallas, as well.

Founded in 2020, Duro Hospitality has had a stellar run, opening two acclaimed restaurants: The Charle, their chic restaurant in Dallas' Design District; and Sister, their Italian-Mediterranean restaurant that opened in the space that was previously home to iconic restaurant The Grape.

Since The Charles opened in 2018, it has earned accolades for its doting service, stunning decor, and fabulous food, including winning CultureMap's Tastemaker Award in 2020 for Best Restaurant of the Year.

Sister was nominated for a Tastemaker Award for Best New Restaurant in 2022, and also for Best Wine Program, which seems like a fitting extension of The Grape's good reputation as a wine destination.

Cafe Duro sits in a small, charming storefront with a wine background of its own: Back in the '90s, it was home to Stoney's Fine Wines & Market, the wine shop from "Stoney" and Diane Savage, one of Dallas' longest-running wine shops, now located at 6038 Oram St.

In a statement, See's Design partner Benji Homsey says that 2022 is proving to be a big year for Duro Hospitality, a hospitality firm he founded with partners Chas Martin, Corbin See, and Ross See, specializing in operations, concepting, development, and design focused of restaurants, bars, hotels, and multi-family projects.

"The opening of Café Duro marks the rapid expansion of our footprint in Dallas," Homsey says. "We strive to be thoughtful and intentional in the way guests experience Café Duro. Our Greenville Avenue concepts are unlike any others in Dallas; we're proud to break the mold and are looking forward to seeing Dallasites' reaction to our vision."

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Where to drink

Where to drink in Dallas: 5 best new happy hours for November

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The bar at Wok Star Chinese

The month of November is shaping up as a month where you feel like you really want a drink. This edition of Where to Drink comes to the rescue with a slew of new happy hours, plus one that's something of a hidden gem inside a hotel. These are sure to level up your happy hour game with creative drinks and small bites.

Here's where to drink in Dallas this month:

Doughbird
Recently opened Inwood Village restaurant just introduced its happy hour, offered either at the bar or outside on the patio. Drink specials include $8 cocktails such as the spicy blackberry margarita and The Local (strawberry infused vodka, french grapefruit liqueur, lemon, sparkling wine). They're also doing half-off beer, wine, and frozen cocktails. Bites feature $8 and $10 bites, including truffle cheese bread, hummus, and the classic cheeseburger. It runs Monday-Friday from 3-6 pm.

Parlour Bar and Grill
When Hotel Indigo - Frisco opened in 2017, it dubbed itself Frisco's first boutique hotel. Parlour, its in-house bistro, is open for lunch and dinner, but also hosts a daily happy hour from 4-7 pm. If you're doing business at the Frisco Convention Center across the street, or else if you're checking out Dr Pepper Arena or Stonebriar Mall, this is a great place to stop and grab $5 drinks, including cocktails, Simply Lemonade Berry, martinis, and shots. No deals on food, but they have free parking.

Lazy Dog
Restaurant and bar American food and drinks Influenced by the lifestyle of the Rocky Mountains has a new fall happy hour and late night bites menu, served weekdays from 3-6 pm. Drink specials include a shareable hibiscus margarita pitcher for $25, with Lunazul Tequila, spiced hibiscus syrup, and agave sweet + sour. Discounted bites start at $3 and include the "inside out quesadilla" — a crispy cheese-crusted quesadilla stuffed with cheddar + jack, served with guacamole — street corn tots, house made chili, and braised beef birria noodles.

Tande Thai
Upscale restaurant at Grandscape in The Colony has a new happy hour available daily, excluding Mondays, from 4-6 pm. Cocktail highlights include the $6 Thai Rita, with Espolon tequila, orange liqueur, and agave; $8 Buffalo Trace Old Fashioned; S8 Lemon Drop Martini, with Deep Eddy’s lemon vodka and orange liqueur; and $10 Berry Nice Margarita, with Espolon tequila, orange liqueur, berry puree. Spirits including Bacardi Rum, Buffalo Trace, Tito’s Vodka, and Tanqueray Gin are $6, along with select red and white wines by the glass for $8 and draft beer for $5. Small plates include $6 green curry queso & chips, $8 fried tofu, and $10 chicken sliders.

Wok Star
Chinese restaurant inside The Hill shopping center does a happy hour daily from 3-6 pm with drink specials and snacks including $5 beer, $7 wine, $2 off cocktails, and a $6 My Prerogative martini. Bites feature $5 edamame, $4 vegetable spring rolls, $6 chicken potstickers, and $8 chicken fried rice. Not on the happy hour but still notable news: They've also introduced a new menu of cocktails named after pop music hits such as Purple Rain, a lavender martini with Tito’s Vodka; and Kharma Chameleon, a ginger gimlet made with Fix Vodka.

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